Description: Opening shots of London Bridge and local environs, the River Thames, traffic and commuters. Voiceover talks about the purpose of bridges, including as a means of communication. States that London Bridge is still one of the busiest Thames bridges.

London Bridge was the first built over the Thames but visually not a lot remains of the past as it has had a complicated history. There is an old arch (pictured 51”) and a sign picturing the evolution of the bridge (57”). The current environment makes us forget the history. (Views of local historical buildings such as St Paul’s Cathedral pictured with a crane in front and Monument pictured between more modern buildings (1’05 – 1’22”)).

Historians, painters, writers, travellers and Londoners have recorded the life of London Bridge. Old roman map shown (1’23”). Footage then breaks and skips. Relevant pictures of old bridges, bridge works, people and historical events throughout the bridge’s history provide the backdrop to the commentary throughout. Iron tipped wooden piles and coins found when medieval bridge was removed and river deepened in 1830’s (evidence of Roman bridge? Unclear because footage skips but appears to be the case). In 1969 archaeologists found evidence of an ‘approach’ to the bridge, opinions are still conflicting about the Roman Bridge as there is no written evidence.

The bridge was first mentioned in the 10th Century long after the Romans. The wooden bridge had been long subjected to storms, floods, fires, wars and invasions. In 1176 primitive technology used to construct the first stone bridge which took 33 years to build. Peter de Colechurch was the architect. It was paid for by Henry II declaring a tax on wool and church donations. Twenty piers supported the arches with irregular spacing.

Noticeable edifices built on the bridge included the Chapel of St Thomas named by Peter de Colechurch, for the recently martyred and canonised Thomas Becket. He had been baptised in the church where de Colechurch was the chaplain. It was a large and heavy structure.

Two other important features on the bridge were the gate towers at each end. London during the middle ages was a walled city and the entrance to the city from the south had to be similarly defended by the gate towers. There was a watch tower with a drawbridge situated near the centre. When this became worn with use it was ordered to only be raised for defence purposes. However it was demolished in 1577 and the traitors heads which had been posted on the watchtower were transferred to the Southwark end gate tower.

In its place, an ornate timber-framed house, Nonsuch house, was built. Originally built in Holland it was shipped in parts and then reassembled on London Bridge using only wooden pegs and no nails. Not clear why brought to London and most tenants who lived in it not recorded in any books.

Traitors heads on poles on the gate tower attracted those visiting London. Among the heads displayed were William Wallace, Wallingbrook, Guy Fawkes and John Fisher and Thomas More for refusing to acknowledge Henry VIII as the head of the church. More’s head did not decompose and his daughter bought it because she didn’t want to see it as ‘food for fish’. Hosiers, haberdashers, shoemakers, glovers, girdlers, grocers, merchants and a distiller of strong waters were the main trades on the bridge, with publishing and book selling being the most common.

In 1633 a maid servant who lived on the bridge, put a tub of hot ashes under the stairs at night and the subsequent large fire destroyed 43 houses on the north side of the bridge. Modern houses were built in subsequent years and a gap left between the old and the new. This gap stopped the Great Fire of London in 1666.

Severe frosts caused the Thames to freeze over and fairs were held on it including shows, bear baiting and ox roasting. Printers would charge customers for their names to be printed on the ice. Watermen whose normal work was disrupted, broke the ice and built temporary bridges, charging a toll for customers to use them. The waterworks supplying water to the whole area had to be repaired by pouring hot water from the bridge.

There was always traffic congestion and in 1722 traffic was ordered by Parliament to keep left and traffic wardens appointed to enforce this, starting the norm of keeping left on the road.

By the 18th century more unified modern buildings replaced the older buildings and traitors heads were not exhibited. Nonsuch house still stood after 200 years but it was decayed. The Chapel was occupied by stationers keeping paper dry. In 1763, for the first time, the bridge was unobstructed by any buildings and the ancient structure could only be seen under the arches. New square buttresses were decorated in a gothic style and some provided shelter for pedestrians. The increase of shipping from British colonies and the ‘unbearable’ amount of traffic on the bridge made changes necessary.

In 1800 a report noted the expense, insecurity, and dangerous navigation of the old bridge. John Rennie was selected to build a new bridge but died and the work was taken on by John Rennie junior. 10’30” – 12’02” song London Bridge is Falling Down played.

The completed bridge opened in 1831 by William IX and Queen Adelaide. Peter de Colechurch’s 622 year-old bridge was demolished and the foundations used to make snuff boxes and souvenirs.

With the railway revolution the congestion on the bridge increased every day. In 1902 work done to widen the bridge by over 11ft. Some dropped arches and cracks were shown in the early 20th Century and it was decided the bridge needed to be completely rebuild again. In 1967 the current bridge began to emerge. 13’35” Voodoo Chile by Jimi Hendrix plays over shots of the bridge and works from the 1960s. Rennie’s old bridge sold and taken piece by piece to Lake Havasu City in Arizona.